Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath during the MoU signing ceremony titled ‘Bandhan’, on the sidelines of DefExpo2020

Lucknow. 07 February 2020. In a DEFEXPO 2020 of many firsts, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) went a step ahead by handing over 15 licenses for ToT (LATOT) to 17 industries on DRDO developed technologies.

This will help create a synergy between industry and Government. The technologies transferred are from the area of electronics, laser technology, armaments, life sciences, materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems, aeronautics, sensors, etc. These products are Mine Field Marking Equipment MK-II (MFME MK-II), e-Nasika, DMS HIDEN Fuel-I, Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS), 500kg General Purpose Bomb, 250kg Pre Fragmented Bomb, Electronic Fuze for 81mm Mortar Bomb, Post Impact Delay Fuze for Air Delivery Bomb, Vehicle Mounted ECM System, IR Flare for CMDS, Process Monitoring of Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM), Man mounted cooling system, Optical Target Locater 600 (OTL 600), High Power Li-ion Battery Technology (HPLBT) and Combat Free Fall (CFF)  Parachute System. These high technology products will boost the defence manufacturing sector with self reliance and enhance the operation capabilities of Armed Forces.

Surprise of the ceremony was Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for knowledge partnership with Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). The partnership with DRDO is expected to provide impetus to further boost the development of the defence production corridor in Uttar Pradesh. The MoU was exchanged between Dr G Satheesh Reddy Secretary DD(R&D) and Chairman DRDO and Awanish Kumar Awasthi, CEO, UPEIDA.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the industries have been benefited with the efforts put in by DRDO through TDF and the free patent which is available to the industries coupled with availability of test facilities, which as a whole are the confidence building measures which needs to be fully exploited by the industries to propel the nation forward towards self reliance.

He further added that DRDO will provide technical and hand holding support to industries for export of DRDO developed products and also hand holding support for innovation and R&D by industries. He expressed that our defence equipment manufacturing should be explored to tap the global market as well. Efforts should be made to increase export market of defence equipment. He concluded by saying that we all must work for the success of all the Bandhan initiatives”

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adiyanath said that the Signing of MoU with the DRDO will be a step forward towards achieving the ultimate aim of capability-building and indigenous production of defence equipment which will extensively benefit in the development of the State of Uttar Pradesh as well as the region in particular.

Dr G Satheesh Reddy brought out that DRDO will provide all technology support for the development of defence corridor as this will give thrust to the “Make-In-India” programme and elaborated that the recent success of DRDO products such as Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile, Man Portable ATGM, Naval LCA, Naval Torpedo Varunastra, Radars, Sonars, Advanced materials have not only made country more self-reliant in defence technology but also provided immense opportunities to the industries in defence manufacturing sector. He further stressed the point that the industries are invaluable partners and it is an apt time for an Indian industry to take advantage of the latest polices of the Government and  further steer the country  by enhancing the efforts towards self reliance through indigenous technologies, job creation and Nation building. 

And all this happened during the MoU signing ceremony titled ‘Bandhan’ at the Defexpo 2020 in Lucknow. A total of 71 MoUs were signed, 13 new products launched , 6 new announcements made and 18 TOTs given. In all more than 200 MOUs were signed in Lucknow during the Defexpo.